An analyzer including a continuous measurement specimen holder configured to be able to hold a plurality of specimen containers accommodating the specimen to be continuously measured, and a priority specimen holder configured to be able to hold a specimen container accommodating the priority specimen measured in preference to the specimen to be continuously measured is known (see e.g., US Patent Publication No. 2007-110617).
US Patent Publication No. 2007-110617 discloses an analyzer including a holding mount setting portion configured to be able to hold a plurality of specimen containers accommodating the specimen to be continuously measured, and a sample container setting portion configured to be able to hold a specimen container accommodating the priority specimen measured in preference to the specimen to be continuously measured. This analyzer is able to respond to measurement of both the continuous measurement specimen to be continuously measured and the priority specimen to be measured in preference to the continuous measurement specimen, and the sample container setting portion moves to a position where the specimen container accommodating the priority specimen is set through the side of the holding mount setting portion when setting the specimen container accommodating the priority specimen in the sample container setting portion.
However, in the analyzer described in US Patent Publication No. 2007-110617, the measurement of both the continuous measurement specimen to be continuously measured and the priority specimen to be measured in preference to the continuous measurement specimen can be responded, and the sample container setting portion is moved to a position where the specimen container accommodating the priority specimen is set through the side of the holding mount setting portion, and thus a space occupied by the holding mount setting portion and a space necessary when the sample container setting portion moves need to be separately arranged in plan view. Thus, there is a problem that the installation area of the analyzer increases.
The analyzer described in US Patent Publication No. 2007-110617 is configured to move the specimen container held by the holding mount setting portion in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction by a container transferring mechanism to be set in the sample container setting portion and to aspirate the specimen set in the sample container setting portion, when measuring the continuous measurement specimen.
However, the analyzer described in US Patent Publication No. 2007-110617 is configured to move the specimen container held by the holding mount setting portion in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction by a container transferring mechanism to be set in the sample container setting portion, and thus the container transferring mechanism needs to move in the horizontal direction on the upper side of the specimen container held by the holding mount setting portion. Therefore, the container transferring mechanism interferes with the sample container setting portion if the installation area of the analyzer is reduced by arranging the sample container setting portion on the upper side of the holding mount setting portion.